Advocating for Justice: Beate Kuhns’s Internship with the ACLU of Minnesota

Even before joining the Master of Human Rights (MHR) program, Beate Kuhns (MHR ‘26) was already making an impact as a human rights advocate. In high school, she led initiatives to push for menstrual equity at her school. She continued this work while she studied social welfare and justice and international affairs at Marquette University. Now, as a student in the MHR program, Kuhns is exercising her advocacy muscles in new ways. “I wanted to learn about problems in the world and how I could fix them,” she reflected. “I have been interested in justice and human rights for a while now.” This passion led Kuhns to her internship with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Minnesota. 

Thanks to a newly established partnership with the ACLU of Minnesota, the MHR Program is able to place one MHR student in an ACLU-MN internship each summer. Kuhns was the first student to be selected for this new internship opportunity. The mission of the ACLU is to protect the civil liberties of all people. Kuhns was eager to be a part of an organization doing just that. As an advocacy intern, Kuhns gained experience in a wide variety of advocacy roles, from developing curriculum for a fellowship program to organizing at Twin Cities Pride.

Exponential Impacts: Training Minnesota’s Next Human Rights Leaders

Kuhns took on a variety of responsibilities during her internship. One of her main projects was revamping the curriculum for the ACLU’s Smart Justice Fellowship, which trains 10 fellows impacted by the justice system to be organizers and leaders in the movement to reform Minnesota’s criminal legal system. She crafted 11 lesson plans and a syllabus for the program, analyzing data and feedback from the 2024 fellowship to create an improved curriculum. Kuhns added new lessons to the program structure, including a session on mental health for organizers. She also visited Red Wing Correctional Facility’s transition fair to talk to people about their rights when they are released from the facility. One of her most memorable conversations was at this transition fair, when she was able to tell an 18-year-old that they would be able to vote, even with a felony, because of Minnesota's 2023 Restore the Vote legislation.

Halfway through the summer, Kuhns presented the materials she had been working on to the NAACP of Minneapolis and T.O.N.E. U.P., the partner organizations for the Smart Justice fellowship. She worked with these partners to brainstorm what to add and what to adjust for the fellowship program. At the conclusion of her internship, she was able to meet all of the fellows, some of whom she had advocated for in the interview process. “It was really rewarding, adjusting and crafting a year-long project,” said Kuhns. “It was really special to be able to see that all come to fruition.”

Practicing Versatility

Kuhns took advantage of the opportunities to gain a wide range of new organizing and advocacy experiences during her time with the ACLU of MN. She learned how to be versatile and apply her skills to support emerging initiatives as well as long-term projects. While she was developing programming for the Smart Justice Fellowship and conducting Restore the Vote outreach, a few Minnesota counties signed onto Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE’s) 287(g) agreement. Counties that signed onto 287(g) signaled that they authorize ICE to delegate some of their functions to the county’s local law enforcement officers. To address these counties’ agreements to 287(g) and protect the liberties of Minnesotans, ACLU-MN organizers strategized on how to address this issue while continuing the Know Your Rights trainings to inform and empower community members. This is one example of the ways ACLU organizers, including Kuhns, must adapt to support changing community needs. “I'm glad I have a wide array of things I've worked on now. I've worked with justice-impacted people, I've worked in public health, I've worked in women, gender, and sexuality, I've worked with immigrants and refugees. So I think that will give me a wide reach,” said Kuhns. “There are a lot of issues I hold close to my heart at this point … every issue is so interconnected to the other.”

Across each of her experiences in this internship, Kuhns engaged directly with people across Minnesota. She tabled at Minneapolis Pride, where she welcomed people to learn more about the ACLU of MN and ignited conversation about protecting the civil liberties of people in the LGBTQIA+ community. She sought to provide a starting point for people to tell their story. “ACLU was a really good outlet for me to feel like I was making a difference in this community,” said Kuhns. She learned directly from Minnesotans’ unique experiences, and was reminded of the importance of simply being a listening ear for people by giving them the space they need to tell their stories.

Dreaming of the Future

Kuhns’s journey as an organizer and human rights defender is just beginning. Her internship reinvigorated her commitment to protecting human rights and tackling big problems. “It really confirmed for me, this is where I want my path to go. This is my dream job,” said Kuhns. The people she met and collaborated with through the ACLU of MN showed her that her dream job can become a reality. 

Through this internship, Kuhns has been connected to a network of civil liberties defenders that extends far beyond Minnesota– a community that shares her drive to make a difference and will welcome her as a dedicated teammate in the collective mission of protecting the civil rights and liberties of everyone.